1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a still picture recording device such as an electronic still camera. More particularly, the invention relates to an electronic still camera with a mechanism for preventing the ejection of a recording medium during a photographic operation.
2. Background Art
Recently, an electronic still camera system has been developed in which an image pickup device such as a solid-state image pickup element or an image pickup tube and a recording device using a recording medium such as a magnetic material or memory are used in combination to allow purely electronic photographing of an object. That is, the camera records the picture as an electrical signal on the recording medium. The still picture thus recorded is reproduced by a separately provided television system or printer.
In the electronic still camera, a recording medium is loaded into a receptacle which is coupled to the camera body in such a manner that it can be freely opened and closed, and the still picture of the object is electrically recorded on the recording medium. The recording medium of the electronic still camera, unlike a conventional silver halide film, can be freely exposed to light. Therefore, the recording medium can be freely loaded into or unloaded from the camera before it has been completely recorded.
When the electronic still camera is not used for a photographing and recording operation, the recording medium can be freely into or removed from the camera, as was described above. However, if, during a photographing and recording operation, the ejection switch is accidentally touched or operated to open the receptacle, then the object may not be photographed or its image is incompletely recorded on the recording medium.